Hairless

Hairless
written & directed by Sarah Johnson
starring Angelique Little





Under the new-and-different category comes an usual independent film. "Hairless" is a movie about baldness. More specifically, about Alyssa, who tries to hide her hairless state from potential suitors. But this proves to be a daunting task, as she has no hair anywhere, due to a disease called alopecia areata (see info below on the very real condition).


Check out the website www.hairlessmovie.com






















WHAT IS ALOPECIA?
From The National Alopecia Areata Foundation

Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disease that results in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere. It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches. It occurs in males and females of all ages and races, but onset most often occurs in childhood. It is estimated that approximately two percent of the population will be affected at some point in their lives, or over 4.5 million people in the United States.

In alopecia areata, the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked in groups by a person’s own immune system (white blood cells), resulting in the arrest of the hair growth stage. These affected follicles become very small, drastically slow down production, and grow no hair visible above the surface for months or years. The scalp is the mostly commonly affected area, but the beard or any hair-bearing site can be affected alone or together with the scalp.

Some people develop only a few bare patches that regrow hair within a year. In others, extensive patchy loss occurs, and in a few, all scalp hair is lost (referred to as alopecia totalis) or, hair is lost from the entire scalp and body (referred to as alopecia universalis). No matter how widespread the hair loss, the hair follicles remain alive and are ready to resume normal hair production whenever they receive the appropriate signal. In all cases, hair regrowth may occur even without treatment and even after many years.

At present, there is no cure for alopecia areata, although the hair may return by itself. There are various treatments, which are most effective in milder cases, but none are universally effective.

For more information, please check the website of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, at www.naaf.org.


More from Angelique Little:
The Smartest Person Who Ever Lived